Danny Hope had two main objectives during the recruiting season—continue to feverishly recruit the state of Florida, and find as many defensive backs as possible. He accomplished both, signing five defensive backs among Purdue's 24-member class, which included seven players from Florida.

That follows up his 2008 haul that included a staggering 14 players from Florida, one of the most fertile hotbeds for high school football.

The Boilermakers offered plenty of opportunities to play immediately, particularly in the secondary, where Purdue must replace all four starters from last year. That made coming to West Lafayette an easy sell for guys such as cornerback Ricardo Allen and junior college transfer Michael Eargle. ...More